🏈 Welcome back, Monday — and football season!

🌧️ Today's weather: Partly sunny with a chance of rain. High of 90.

🎂 Happy birthday to our member Angela O'Dorisio!

Today's newsletter is 982 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Bo Nix's return from injury will be a baptism by fire tonight at Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium. If he emerges unscathed, look out for Denver this season.

Why it matters: A win over the Chiefs to start the season would amplify Super Bowl buzz in Denver.

Behind the scenes: Some sportswriters and pundits expect the defending AFC West champs to regress this season, especially with a brutal schedule ahead.

• Denver starts with a 20-to-1 chance at winning a Super Bowl, per DraftKings Sportsbook.

Yes, but: Fans aren't buying it. What they are buying: season tickets, with renewals hitting a record 99.5% rate this year after the team reached the AFC title game last season.

State of play: Entering his third year, Nix has shown he can perform when the lights shine brightest, becoming Denver's QB caller since Peyton Manning to lead the team to back-to-back playoff berths.

• Newcomer Jaylen Waddle has fans salivating over his star power at wide receiver, while Courtland Sutton remains a top receiving target.
• And don't forget the defense: Cornerbacks Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss and linebacker Nik Bonitto are standout players.

Between the lines: Linebacker Jonathon Cooper's ongoing domestic violence case cast a shadow over the roster and raised questions about whether he will — or should — play at all this season.

The bottom line: In Nix We Trust. Denver's Super Bowl hopes may hinge on whether he and Payton can conjure some more Mile High magic.

📺 The game's on tonight at 6:15pm on ABC and ESPN.

Send to a Broncos fan

We found five local places to watch the Broncos open their NFL campaign against the Chiefs tonight.

Why it matters: It's the start of a highly anticipated season.

The Bar at Plaza 38 (3550 W. 38th Ave.)

• Drink specials include free shots for Broncos touchdowns, plus other discounts on game days.

The Brutal Poodle (967 S. Broadway)

• Come for swag and concert giveaways, a Teremana Tequila tasting, plus food and drink specials at this heavy metal bar.

The Lowbeam (3401 E. Colfax Ave.)

• The lowkey cocktail bar will have free snacks and drink specials during games, including an $8 beer-and-shot deal.

McGregor Square (1901 Wazee St.)

• The enormous outdoor plaza will host a free watch party, including live DJ and food and drink options around the square.

Woodie Fisher (1999 Chestnut Pl. #100)

• The restaurant offers $1 wings and drink specials to enjoy while watching games on seven plasma TVs, a 120-inch screen and a 98-inch display.

Englewood could cover its 12 automatic license plate-readers (ALPRs) with garbage bags if Flock Safety doesn't promptly remove them after the city council canceled the company's contract last week.

Why it matters: The city joins a growing list of Colorado communities rethinking Flock amid privacy and surveillance concerns.

• Denver replaced Flock with Axon this year.

State of play: Englewood has no replacement lined up for its stationary readers after the council unanimously dropped Flock and deadlocked on a proposed contract with competitor Axon.

• The city pays Flock $64,500 annually.

What they're saying: "Whether we use Flock or Axon, it's no different," Councilmember Rita Russell said. "They both do the same thing."

Full story ... Subscribe to Axios Arapahoe County

👀 Denver's housing department failed to inform Clayton residents it was planning a 400-bed homeless shelter on the neighborhood's border. (Denverite)

🎙️ Former Broncos quarterback legend John Elway makes his "Manningcast" debut tonight with fellow Hall of Famer and former Denver great Peyton Manning. (Denver Post 🔑)

⚖️ Denver district attorney John Walsh's office prosecuted a man who was sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting 19-year-old Ileanna Hernandez last year at Union Station, Alayna reports.

🏢 The city's tallest building, Republic Plaza, is likely headed for a sale after its owner relinquished the property last week. (DBJ 🔑)

🛣️ Colorado's pursuing an $800 million, five-year project to rebuild the aging highway between I-25 and I-70 in north metro Denver. (Denver Post 🔑)

Editor's note: An item was corrected to reflect that Denver District Attorney John Walsh announced the sentencing of a man who fatally shot someone at Union Station last year. Walsh did not sentence him.

Your newsletter helps you make sense of what's happening in your community quickly and clearly.

Why it matters: Membership helps support the local reporting that keeps you informed about the people, decisions and stories shaping where you live.

💙Become an Axios Denver member today and help our newsroom keep delivering journalism built for your community.

• Thanks for reading — and for supporting local news.

Colorado just sweated through its hottest summer on record.

• And Denver wasn't far behind.

By the numbers: The state averaged 69.4°F from June through August, the warmest meteorological summer since records began in 1895, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data shows.

🥵 Zoom in: Denver averaged 74.9°F, tying 2020 for its third-hottest summer ever, behind 2012 and 2024, per NOAA.

• The city also logged seven 100-degree days, tying 2005 for the second-most. Only 2012 had more, with 13.

Zoom out: The contiguous U.S. also just recorded both its hottest summer and hottest August to date, with record heat stretching across much of the Southwest.

• Warmer-than-normal nights offered little relief, NOAA says.

🍂 What's next: The first taste of cooler, fall-like weather is arriving tomorrow, with highs potentially only reaching the 70s early this week, 9News reports.

• "It's honestly been like four months since we've even been able to dream about some true cloudy, cool, rainy soup weather," 9News meteorologist Chris Bianchi said in a social media video Thursday.

Yes, but: This is Denver. Another 90-degree day is possible.

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👋 John is back at his desk after some PTO.

🐂 Alayna is still hyped about her alma mater's historic win Saturday and new No. 1 standing. Hook 'em.

🏈 Esteban believes the Broncos can pull off a shocker in KC tonight.

Thanks to our editor, Gigi Sukin.